"If it isn't the Crescent Reaper, Lia Azaroth! I knew they'd send you after me! This will be a fun little dance!"
The man fully revealed himself. His appearance was accurate as described earlier. Spiky red hair, a scar, and a ripped coat.
"It seems you know who I am. That means you know how this fight will end, right?"
The man smirked. "Heh. Love the confidence, babe!"
Lia stepped forward. "Keep your distance, Lucen. This fight won't take long."
"Uh huh…"
Dark red energy crackled on the ground, traveling forward towards Lia's right hand. The energy dispersed and then gathered directly at the point of Lia's hand. What materialized from the energy was a large, dark red and black scythe. The scythe had sharp edges on the long handle. On top of the handle, right behind the blade of the scythe was a red, open eye.
"(That eye is looking deep into my soul… Totally not creepy…)"
The stray devil immediately dashed at Lia and slashed at her with his knife.
CLINK
"Eh?"
Both him and his knife stopped, seeming to hit an invisible wall just a few feet from Lia.
CLINK
CLINK
CLINK
The stray tried attacking again at different angles while picking up speed but his blade just hit against something without touching Lia at all. Lia then slammed her scythe on the ground. "GURGH-"
The stray suddenly went flying up and crashed into the ceiling before dropping back down onto the floor, gasping for air.
"(What the hell was that?! She didn't even touch him and he just got blasted! Wait…)"
Lucen, from a distance, looked closer and noticed a slightly red, transparent circle flying around Lia. "(Is that what the guy was hitting…? It's kind of hard to see it but it looks like some kind of barrier.)"
"Can you see it, Lucen? This is my Song."
"(Song…?)"
"Her name is Aegis." Lia picked up the scythe and ran her fingers slowly down the handle along its sharp edges.
"Rghhhhh…." The stray got back up on his feet, seething. His attention turned to Lucen and in an instant, he jumped up to the ceiling and using that momentum, dashed at Lucen with his blade.
CLINK
Just before he could reach Lucen, he was stopped just a few inches away by Lia's barrier. Not wasting a second, he jumped and dashed, attempting to attack Lucen at different angles as he tried to do to Lia. Lia's barrier protected Lucen from each attack while he watched on, perplexed.
"How annoying- GURGH!" Once again, the stray seemingly went flying as if he was hit with a giant boulder. He crashed into a wall across the storehouse.
"(I only saw it for a split second but that barrier that was in front of me moved and slammed against the guy…)"
"It's time we wrap this up."
Lia stomped her foot and a gathering of dark red energy formed in front of her and rushed towards the stray. The energy seemingly formed into a chain and wrapped itself around him while also lifting him up and holding him in place above the ground.
"What the hell?! I can't move!"
As he struggled to break free, Lia approached the devil and pointed the tip of her scythe's blade towards the ground, more specifically, to the shadow of the stray devil that loomed in front of him.
"W-What are you about to do…?"
"Before I kill you, I am going to ask you a few questions. Firstly, there are more stray devils such as yourself surfacing into the Overworld, why is that?"
"And why should I tell yo- URGH!"
Lia moved the scythe an inch across the shadow of the stray devil and suddenly, a small gash opened on his chest.
"S-Someone's helping us!"
"Who?"
"I don't know! It was some woman but I have no idea what she looks like!"
"Can you tell me anything else about this woman?"
"I can't- ARGHHH!"
Lia moved the scythe another inch forward, the gash across the stray devil's chest becoming bigger.
"S-She said she was gathering people like me for some purpose! She said if I stayed here long enough, she'd come back for me!"
"I see, well I think I have gotten about as much as I could out of you. I will put you out of your misery now."
"Huh? WAIT- GURGHH!"
Lia, in one motion, slashed the shadow of the stray devil, fully slicing his chest. His body collapsed and faded into small particles, being completely gone by the time it would hit the floor.
"Alright, let's go."
"Yeah…"
Lia and Lucen exited the storehouse. Walking out, they noticed a lot of bodies of feral devils on the ground. The two regrouped with Sana and Vonica and gathered all of the bodies of the feral devils. Lia then burned them, lighting them on fire with her demonic energy.
"Ok everyone. Now that we've finished, we can head back." Lia began walking off in the direction they arrived.
"Finally! I hate the smell of this place!" Sana said, joining her.
"No matter how many times we are here, I will never adjust to the stench." Vonica added.
Lucen followed behind them quietly, still processing everything he witnessed.
"Hey! Ya alright there?" Sana bumped into Lucen, playfully.
"Just in my thoughts. It's a bit much for someone like me who, not even a day ago was living a completely normal life."
"You'll get used to it! Just give it a few days!"
"I don't think I'll get used to this at all... By the way, mind if I ask you a question?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you always so full of energy? To be quite honest, you're definitely a lot different than your sisters."
"Well… someone has to bring life to our family. Lia's always serious and Vonica's too much of a stuck up! Just look at the way she's walking!" Sana pointed at Vonica who walked ahead of them.
"Is there a problem with the way I walk?"
"Of course there is! You walk like a stuck up, proper little princess! Who are you trying to impress, acting all perfect like that?!"
"Oh really? How about I show you stuck up?!" Vonica turned around and tossed an empty soda can directly at Sana's head.
"Ow! Grrrr!" Sana dashed at Vonica and tackled her to the ground. The two wrestled and tussled across the floor. Lia stopped and glared daggers into the two. They both froze and immediately stood back up.
"Sorry…"
"Apologies…"
The group continued walking.
"Lucen, come here for a second." Lia called out to Lucen and he joined her at the front.
"Are you doing okay?"
"To be honest, I don't even know anymore. I feel like my life can't get any crazier than this."
"Listen, the real reason I wanted you to come with us tonight was because you needed to see this."
"What do you mean?"
"The moment you awoke your demonic energy and entered a contract with me, your life would never return to what it once was. I wanted you to see what you'd be getting involved with and how us devils live."
"Which includes magical powers, crazy looking weapons, and killing each other?"
"If you would like to put it that way, yes."
"I see…"
"And because of our contract, you are automatically a member of the Azaroth Family. That means that you are a part of our lives now as we are yours. So stuff like this, I want you to adapt to it quickly."
"Yeah… I don't know if that includes fighting with crazy stuff like you guys. I can fight in hand to hand combat but all of that might just be beyond me and like I told Sana a moment ago, there's like no way I can get used to this."
"The moment will come where you'll fight alongside us, but for now, I will make sure nothing happens to you. So will my sisters, as much as a handful they can be."
"I don't know if I'm looking forward to that… but thanks, I appreciate it, Lia."
"(Being protected by three hot goth girls with superpowers? You know what... I changed my mind. Maybe I can get used to this.)"
Lucen and the group finally returned to the building from which they came from. They walked in and Lia pulled out another transfer seal. She activated it, transporting them back to the lounge area in their estate.
"(And just like that, we're back.)"
"Good work tonight, everyone. You may all rest now. Lucen, the guest room you woke up in is now your room from here on."
"Really?? Sweet."
"(Can't believe I get a big room like that all to myself.)"
Everyone began to walk off.
"Wait Lia, I have something I need to ask you."
"What is it?"
"So as lovely as you've all been, I do have to go back home eventually. While I know it might be dangerous to return now, my ma and friend are probably worried sick right now since I did kind of just disappeared without a word. My phone's also been dead since that night so I couldn't text or call them letting them know I was fine."
"(Where is my phone, by the way? Oh wait, I'm pretty sure I saw it on the stand next to the bed upstairs. Guess I forgot about it.)"
Lia stood for a moment thinking.
"There might be a sure way for me to be sure your demonic energy will remain stable, no matter where you are. Vonica! Come here!"
Vonica, who was at the door, turned around and walked back over to the two.
"You called?"
"Yes, tomorrow morning, I need you to take him to your room and do something for him. He needs something to ensure his demonic energy won't affect him or anyone around him. While I'm sure the contract should prevent that, it still doesn't hurt to be completely safe."
"I see… Conveniently enough, I believe I have just the thing that should work. I will come wake you up and we will test it out, alright?"
"Alright, got it."
Everyone said good night and walked off. Lucen made his way upstairs.
"(Uhh, which room was the guest room again…?)"
~The Next Morning~
Lucen, again, found himself in this strange white room.
"(I'm back… I've never had the same exact dream twice in a row…)" Lucen looked around and yet again, that girl sat on the floor in the distance.
"(That girl is here again too.)" Lucen got up and made his way towards her. Just like last time, the room got darker the closer he got.
"Damn it… Hey!"
The girl looked up and noticed Lucen approaching her. She got up and tried to make her way to him but the darkness of the room obscured both of their visions before they could get anywhere close.
"AH!"
Lucen, like the morning prior, suddenly woke up.
"(Ugh… What the hell is that dream and who the hell is that girl..?)"
"Good morning."
"Oh come on..."
Lucen was, once more, face to face with Vonica, who was on top of him on the bed.
"Are you going to do this everytime?"
"Would you like me to?"
"No comment."
Vonica eventually got up after a few more seconds.
"Worry not, I was just checking to see if what I have for you would fit."
"Fit? You mean…"
"Come. I will show you to my room."
Lucen got up and followed Vonica out. They walked down the corridor of the second floor and stopped right in front of a door on the right side.
"Here we are."
"(Wonder what kind of room she ha- What the hell?!)"
Vonica opened the door and revealed her room which was entirely different from anything in the entire estate. The room didn't look like a bedroom at all but like a workshop. The floor changed from polished wood to stone. Different shelves stocked with various kinds of materials and contraptions surrounded the walls as well as many different blueprints hung up and pinned. A giant workbench sat against the wall across the room and next to it, a desk with a strange glowing device on it with a rotating gear clicking continuously. Next to the desk, a lamp glowing a dim, purple light lit up the room. Her bed, in the corner of the room buried under pillows and notebooks.
"The hell is all of this…?"
"Welcome to my room. Lovely, is it not?"
"Lovely is certainly a word to describe it…"
"Over here." Vonica walked over to the workbench and picked up a black glove. On top of the glove was the letter V engraved in silver. "Try this on."
"Alright…"
Lucen put the glove on his right hand.
"Ok… What now?"
"Now, I want you to try and use your demonic energy."
"Huh? How?"
"Remember how you were able to sense demonic energy by focusing on it? Try to focus on your own energy and picture releasing it through your hand."
Lucen outstretched his hand and focused. Immediately he felt a slightly hot tingle rushing through his body.
"What is this feeling…?"
"You are doing good! Now imagine releasing what you are feeling right into your hand."
Lucen pictured that tingle rushing to his hand and suddenly his hand burst into the same blue flame that appeared on his hand the other day.
"Holy crap!"
"Amazing… Such a vibrant blue… I have never seen anything like it..."
Vonica closely gazed upon Lucen's hand in awe.
"Now what I want you to do is to deactivate it."
"And how do I do that?"
"The same way you brought it out but instead, imagine the energy leaving your hand."
"Alright…"
Lucen pictured the energy disappearing and the blue flame slowly vanished from his hand.
"Wow, it's gone…"
"Very good! Now you know how to release your demonic energy."
"So what's this glove for then?"
"The glove allows for more convenient use of demonic energy. It makes releasing it a bit easier as well as controlling it. See, I have one on as well." Vonica pointed to her desk where a similar black glove lay. Although in the middle of it was a mold of a Lavender flower.
"Oh, I did see you wearing that out there."
"The one you have right now was a prototype. That one over there is a more complete version but it will take me time to recreate it. For now though, I believe that one will suffice enough for you. You will have to keep that glove on whenever you are in public. Just for reassurance, of course."
"I see… Well, thank you. I appreciate this. Also, uhh, what is that spinning thing over there?"
"Oh that? I will… explain it to you some other time."
"Um, sure. Anyways, thanks again for this, Vonica. I think I'm ready to head back home now."
"You are very welcome. But although we are still in District 3, we are quite a ways from your home. Will you be fine getting there on your own?"
"Yeah yeah don't worry. Just take me to nearest train station and I'll be fine from there."
"Of course. Are you ready to go now?"
"Yeah, let me just grab my phone and bag from the room real quick. Oh wait, my shirt!"
"I have already packed your cleaned shirt in your bag."
"Sweet, thanks!"
Lucen picked up his bag and phone and the two walked downstairs. Lucen made a quick stop in the lounge and updated Lia on the glove Vonica gave him. He then said bye to her and Sana and left with Vonica to head to a nearby train station.
"Here we are. We will make sure to check up on you tomorrow, alright?"
"Yeah, I got it. I'll see you guys tomorrow then?"
"Yes, have a good day, Lucen."
Vonica waved Lucen off as he entered the train.